208 



THE 00L0GI3T 



of the same kind in a small tree right 

 at the water's edge and not more than 

 10 feet up. Well I thought if I'd row 

 right up to them they would fly off so 

 I started trolling back and forth, each 

 time getting closer and closer. I 

 couldn't make out what they were. 

 Finally I got to within 200 feet of them 

 and knew them, that they weren't 

 eagles I was going to get within 100 

 feet of them and was just nearing my 

 goal when all of a sudden, bizz went 

 my reel, the rod jumping out from un- 

 der my feet and I after it. I made an 

 awful noise, I know, but when I got 

 through reeling in the line I found an 

 eight pound Northern Pike at the 

 other end of it, but the birds were 

 gone. 



I came back to camp and met "Fish- 

 erman Charley," a native of the coun- 

 try and immeliately started quizzing 

 him about the birds. He told me they 

 were Buz?;ards and that if I'd go up to 

 Ketchie Lake about three miles off, I'd 

 see dozens of them all along the shore. 

 He said that the first he had ever seen 

 of them was about 12 years ago when 

 they would at times see one or two, 

 but that each year they have increased 

 in number until now there are at least 

 100 or more. Upon being asked if he 

 had ever found their nests he replied 

 "Yes" and that they built on the 

 ground and laid two eggs. He said the 

 best way to find the nest was to use 

 your nose more than you eyes. "Why," 

 he says "You can smell them 100 feet 

 away." There are hundreds of dead 

 fish washed up on the shores of most 

 of these lakes and no doubt they are 

 the main food of the=e birds, because 

 besides this, I don't see what in earth 

 they could live on. 



An Indian told me later that they 

 were Vultures, and that they were 

 getting more numerous each year and 

 especially in the vicinity of Ketchie 



Lake, where he says this year, 1917, 

 there must have been 30 to 50 pair 

 nesting along the lake. 



I am going to take a trip there next 

 spring during nesting time and find 

 out more about them. This colony 

 should increase in number steadily as 

 there isn't anything there to disturb 

 them. The Indians are their best 

 friends and absolutely will not disturb 

 them. Who knows but in a few years 

 there may be a thousand birds in the 

 colony? 



Elmer Langwin 

 Crookston, Minn. 



Late Departure of the Tree and Barn 

 Swallow 



On October 13th in company with 

 two of my friends went to the Susque- 

 hanna River on a bird trip. We had 

 hardly gotten to the river when we 

 saw severp.l swallows skimming over 

 the water. They proved to be Tree 

 and Barn Swallows. We could easily 

 cee that the ones we called the Tree 

 Swallows were the Tree Swallows by 

 the bright greenish reflection on the 

 back which was plainly visible v^^hen 

 the birds' backs were turned toward, 

 he sun. The Barn Swallows were 

 easily told by the bluish back and 

 forked tail. I believe these are very 

 late records, especially for the Barn 

 Swallow as the last fall record of Barn 

 Swallow for Washington, D. C. (about 

 1;0 miles south of York) is September 

 17th and October 14th for the Tree 

 Swallow. 



A week later on October 20th, we 

 visited the same place and saw a 

 single Barn Swallow, but no Tree 

 Swallows. 



Arthur Farquhar, 



York, Penn. 



